Apparatus for treating liquids.



A. JENSEN. V APPARATUS FOR TREATlNG LIQUID5.

APPLICATION fILED JULY 31.1914.

ixt1,156,361. I Patented 00t.12, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. JENSEN. APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIQUIDS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 31; 1914..

1,156,361. Patented 0011.12, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AAGE JENSEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNI&.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ct. 12, 1915.

Application filed July 31, 1914. I Serial No. 854,332.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, AAGE JENSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at-San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Liquids; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and'to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus with which liquid such as milk, a highly efficient and economical manner, at any desired temperature and under conditions of vacuum or pressure as may he required during the process, or which may serve as a fermenting tank, agitator or churn, thus adapting the apparatus for practising in the most approved manner any of the processes employed for pasteurizing liquids, ripening milk and cream, fermenting the liquid, churning cream in the production of butter granules, or of emulsifying the liquid in the making of fermented drlnks, such, for example, as lactone, fer- ;milac, or artificial buttermilk.

The invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter described and pointed out particularly in the appender claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure .1 is a-sectional elevation of an apparatus embodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a top plan view with portions removed and ortions broken away to disclose the internal construction of the container and also showing diagrammatically an air pump. Fig. 3 is a section, and Fig. t a plan view of the bottom coil or agitator supporting stand. Fi 5 is a detail section of the base of the jac rot, showing one of the supporting leg Like reference numerals throughout the several figures indicate the same parts.

The vessel, or container 1. in which the liquid is treated is properly constructed to withstand external pressure when a vacuum is created therein and internal p re ssnre, so desired. It. is preferably cylindrical in shape with convex top and bottom, the 1n.-

cream, etc., may be treated in' spindle taking a bearing in a bottom thence through ternal surface being as free as possible from corners of interstices which might tend to produce unsanitary conditions. At the top, the container is provided with a packing box or gland 5 through which passes a ver-- tical tubular shaft 2, the main weight of the shaft2 and parts mounted thereon being supported on an annular ball race 6 placed above the packing gland 5 but below a driving gear rigidly mounted on the shaft and through Whichrotary motion is imparted to the shaft as will be presently described. At its lower end the shaft is provided with a double helical coil of pipe 3, the lower ends of the coils preferably joining at'the center in a coupling 3* to which the lower end of the shaft is also connected and which at the bottom. is provided with a bearing or support 4, shown in detail in Figs. 3 and From these figures it will be seen that the bearing is provided with a sealing flange to which the bottom of the container is secured, and with openings between arms i through which the container may be drained or its contents discharged. For regulating the discharge the bottom hearing is provided with a cap 4 to which a pipe connection 4 may be attached and the latter is provided with a suitable valve 40, as shown in Fig. 1. Within the tubularshaft 2 is located a second conduit l5, which at the lower end communicates with one end of the double coil through a diverting head 16, thus providing for a circulation of cooling or other medium downwardly through the'conduit, the two coils, and back through the tubular shaft 2 around the conduit. The helical coils 3 are provided with an adjustable vane or vanes in the form of vertically arranged blades or wings 17 having hinges 18 adapted to be set so as to hold the blades either radial or substantially in line with the direction of rotation. Theinterior wall of the container 1. is provided with similar baflies in the form of vertically arranged wings or blades 19 provided with hinges 20 corresponding to the hinges 18 before referred to and the construction of whichwill be understood from an inspection of Fig. 2 wherein it will be seen that each hinge is provided with a projection 20 adapted to seat in a recess 20 when it is desired to have the bladesstand radially or, when the blades are lifted and turned paral lel with the wall of the container and again lowered, the said projection .20" will rest against the end or edge 'wall of the recess,

' thereby holding the blade in such position.

v operate therewith i with an internal the walls be correspondingly changed, so

-be introduced the flange, of the bottom bearing For reasons which will be tary stirrer, may be, and the blades or vanes, which -.'co-

tom portion of the container or mainly below the i upper portionfof the '.container en ,1:e1y free from any obstruction}vvlmtsoever'.

Provision is made whereby the liquids within the container may be treated by heat or cooled ..'under vacuum conditions, all through connections which cannot, by any ossibility, introduce into the container any mjuriousfmatter'such as would be liable. to

through and to accomplish thisiend in; the most .per-

feet manner the connections with thevcylim drical shaftand its internal conduitarejflothe container; thus: as

cated well above shown in Fig. '1, a double stuffing bQX 1 surrounds the tubular shaft and 'is provided opening communication between an exit pipe 43 having a suitable valve therein. The pro jecting end of the internal conduit is pro-' vided with a stuifing box or gland 15 through which it communicates with an in let pipe 42, having a suitable. valve therein andan expansion air'chamber 41 which will prevent rupture in case the valves are closed and the-temperature of the medium within as to cause the same to expand.

The stufling box 14 and gland 15. together with the pipe connections 42 and 43 are all supported by standards, 14"" secured to a casting. on. top of the container 1 and are suitably braced one by the other. The driving gear 7 is in mesh with a pinion 13 form ing part of a multiple speed jack 9 mounted in bearings on the top of the container and adapted to be driven by fast and loose pulleys 10 from any suitable source of power.

Surrounding the container 1 below the top thereof is a pressure jacket 25, sealed to p I at. 29 and at its upper edge connected. with the top flange of the container by an annular breast 28, thus forming a closed jacket which is in turn surrounded by a heat insulating cover-' ing 26 provided with an outside metal skin or protecting cover 27 The insulating covering extends below the bottom of the Jacket as shown in Fig. '5 and the whole container with its jacket is mounted on a base having legs 38 and an annular platform 39 prefer ably supported by bracketarms 39.

Around the inside of the jacket at the bottom of the container there is located a circular pipe 30 having a series of openings 31 resently oint-" ed out, the helical coil whic forms t e romixer or ag1tator,f as thecas'el are all locatedin thelbotorizontal center thereon, leaving the working joints, etc},

' "through duct forming the passage the topofthe container.

cteria,

therein and communicating with an inlet pipe 32 extending out through the jacket and connected with pipes 32 and 32 having suitable valves therein and adapted for the admission of treating medium such as steam and water. i

In the operation of the apparatus it is designed that the treating liquid such as water shall only flow around a portion of the container 1 and, in order to regulate the height of the water in the ]3Ck6l), overflow or drainage. pipes 33 are provided which extend .down through the bottom of thejacket and communicate with an overflow pipe 34 having a regulating valve 34" therein. The entrance ends of the overflow pipes are preferably at approximately the level of the upper the coil 3, andinorder that the upper portion of the container may be maindifierent temperature from the:

portion of trained at a lower portion, treating medium. may

means are provided whereby be introduced at the top of the jacket, for which purpose an ane 35 is located in the top of the jacket to w ich steam may be su plied. I avalve controlled pipe 36. g suitable safety valve 45 is provided in communication with the jacket,

nular supply pi a pressure gage 21.

is provided in communication with the container, and, in addition, a recording thermometer is connected with the nipple 23' in For inducing a is provided in the vacuum a pipe connection adapted form of a; nipple 23 shown in Fig. 2

tobe connected with an air pump shown dia grammatically at 23". A manhole 22 in the top ofthecontainer provides a means whereby access may be, had to the interior of the container for cleaning or for the introduction-of the liquid to be treated.

The apparatus described issusceptible of a wide range of usefulness and it is espe- 1 cially useful in the treatment of food products containing fatty substances and which ties. Y

inasmuch .as it is bean example of the operation of the apparatus is briefly as follows: After the apparatus has been thoroughly cleaned, the sanitary outlet valve 40 is closed, and the' liquid to be treated is introduced through the manhole 22. The quantity of liquid is preferably such as to only half fill the container, thus allowing for proper expansion, etc. The

' is observed that as soon within cream manhole is closed and through the exhaust nipple 23 vacuum conditions are produced the container, after which hot water is allowed to fill the jacket space through the circular pipe 30 up to the height of the overflow pipes 33. The vanes-or Wings 17 and 19 having been previously turned. in line with the movement of the coils so as to produce the least possible disturbance, the coils are set in rotation through the overhead gear and, steam is turned into the circular pipe 30 in quantity sufficient to obtain the desired temperature of the liquid as recorded by the thermometer inserted in connection 23. During this operation a vacuum is maintained in the chamber and it as the liquid being treated reaches a certain temperature, boiling will commence, the boiling depending upon the degree of vacuum maintained. During this period oxygen and obnoxious gases are given ofl, liquids such as milk and produce a heavy viscous foam, and to reduce this action it is found of great advantage to maintain a higher temperature above the liquid line than the temperature of the liquid in the jacket. This is obtained by introducing steam through the circular pipe-35. After the liquid has been heated for the desired period the hot water in the jacket is allowed to drainoli through the drain cock 37 and cold water is allowed to enter through the circular pipe 30 until it overflows through the overflow pipes 33, and the flow or circulation is kept up for a sulhcient time to cool the liquid. To further reduce the temperature cold brine is allowed to enter through the inlet pipe 42 into the inner conduit 15 and circulate through the double helical coil and up through the tubular pipe to exit pipe 43. By this arrangement temperatures sufficiently low to prevent the activity of germs can be obtained in a verv short period of time when the liquid is ready to be subjected to further treatment or carried off for use The container is then emptied through the sanitary valve d0 into any suitable vessel, but care should here be taken to prevent contamination of any kind, and preferably air should not be permitted to again mix with the liquid.

If the apparatus is used as a ripener or fermenting tank, the process of the apparatus remains the same, save that the temperature is reduced only to a point favorable for germ incubation. When the temperature is proper a suitable culture is added which will ferment the liquid. If it is desired to produce a churning edect or to emulsify the liquid being treated, the blades or vanes 17 and 19 are put in radial position, the driving gears are adjusted to increase the speed of rotation, and sufficient agitation is set up to tlmropghly churn or emulsify the liquid in the chamber. This operation is of particular advantage in the making of fermented drinks, suchas lactone, fermilac, etc., as hereinbefore stated.

The apparatus is readily cleaned by introducing cleaning fluid and rotating the coil whereby the cleaning fluid will be splashed about, or it maybe cleaned and sterilized by steam pressure, as usual.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is: j

1. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with a closed container embodying means for introducing and withdrawing the liquid to be treated, and an agitator in the bottom portion means for raising the liquid contained in the bottom portion of the container, and means for raising the temperature within the container above said liquid to a higher of the container.

2.'In an apparatus such as described, the combination with a closed container and agitator therein, of a jacket surrounding the same, means for maintaining a flow of treating fluid in the bottom portion of the jacket,and means for maintaining the areas within the upper portions of the jacket and container at a higher temperature than that of the said treating fluid and fluid being treated.

3. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with a closed container for the liquid to be treated, and means for producing a vacuum in the container, of a tubular shaft arranged vertically in the container for the ingress and egress of treating fluid, an agitator carried by and having a duct therein in communication with the shaft, said agitator being located only in the lower half of the container, whereby the upper part of the container is left free from obstruction, means for rotating the shaft and coil and for supplying treating fluid thereto, and means for maintaining the temperature within the upper part of the container above that of the lower part.

. 4. in an apparatus such as described, the combination with a closed container forthe liquid to be treated and a closed jacket around the same, of an inlet for supplyin treating fluid to the bottom of the jacket, an overflow pipe leading from the jacket at a point substantially midway of its height and an inlet for treating medium in the top or" the jacket whereby the temperature in the top of the jacket may be kept above that of the treating fluid in the bottom of the jacket.

5. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with a closed container for the liquid to be treated and a closed. jacket around the same, of an overflow pipe lead- From the jacket at a point substantially of said container, of temperature of the degree than the bottom.

ing treating fluid to of its height, means for supplying a treating fiuid to said jacket for discharge through the overflow pipe, means for 'supplying a treating medium to the upper portion of the jacket whereby the temperature of the jacket above said overflow pipe may be kept above that of the treating fluid, an agitatorwithin the container having a duct extending therethrough, and means for supplying a circulation of treating fluid through said duct, said agitator and duct being located substantially wholly below the level of the overflow pipe from the jacket;

6. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with a closed container, means for varying the pressure in said container with relation to the atmospheric pressure, and a closed jacket surrounding the container, of an overflow pipe leading from the jacket at a point substantially midway of its height, means for supplying a treating fluid to the lower portion of the jacket, means for supplying a "treating medium to the upper portion of the jacket above the treating fluid therein, an agitator having a circulating duct therein with means for supplying a circulating treating fluid to said agitator, the agitator being located substantially wholly below the level of the overflow pipe. I

7. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with a closed container for the liquid to be treated having a central fitting at .the bottom forming the drainage opening, a closed jacket surrounding said container and sealed to the fitting, means for supplythe jacket, and regulating thetemperature thereof, a tubular shaft mounted in said container and having a bottom bearing on the fitting, an agitator having a tortuous duct therethrough mounted on the shaft and in communication with the midway supplying for the liquid to be treated, a

interior of the shaft, and means for supplying treating fluid to said shaft and agitator, whereby the liquid being treated may have its temperature controlled by the fluid circulating both within the agitator and in the jacket surrounding the containen.

8. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with a closed container for the liquid to be treated, means for controlling the pressure within the container, and a closed jacket around the container, of a circular supply pipe in the" jacket at the bottom of the container, a plurality of overflow pipes leading from 'stantially midway of its height, valves controlling the flow of treating fluid into and out of the jacket, a vertical shaft journaled in the container, a spiraltubular agitator mounted on said shaft, ducts extending through the shaft and in communication with the tubular agitator, and means for treating fluid to the agitator through the ducts in the shaft.

9. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with a cylindrical container tubular shaft journaled in said container, and a spiral tubular agitator mounted on said shaft and in communication therewith, whereby treating fluid may be-supplied to the agitator through the shaft, of vertically arranged blades hinged of the container respectively, whereby said blades may be turned'into radial position or into substantial parallelism with the path'of rotation of the agitator, and means for hold-= ing said blades in their adjusted positions. AAGE JENSEN.

Witnesses:

K. H. KEEFER, C. R. JENKINS.

the jacket at a point subon the agitator and inner face 

